For several years, the choice of flight paths from Brussels Airport has been determined by vested interests. This was shown by a study ordered by the Brussels Minister for the Environment, Céline Fremault (Humanist Democratic Centre) at the Institute of Management for the Environment and Territorial Development of the Free University of Brussels.
This was indicated in Le Soir today (Thursday).
The choice of flight paths for departure and arrival at Brussels Airport by national authorities and at federal level has, for forty years, been a succession of subjective partisan decisions.
These has even been swayed by vested interests. This is the conclusion of the study to be presented shortly to the federal Minister for Transport, François Bellot.
Such choices have been driven, amongst other things, by a conflict between the Brussels East and North peripheries, as well as by a relaxing of wind standards.
“Conditions are thus particularly unfavourable to the Brussels region, as aeroplanes enter further into the city, and at lower altitude, than when the winds come from the south-west,” researchers note.
They also flag up weight limits for take-off from runway 19. Heavier aircraft, are required to take off from runway 25R, and to overfly the more densely populated areas.
The Brussels Times
